Sunday, November 12, 2017

Kat's Korner: Taylor Swift's REPUTATION is b-a-a-a-d in the best way

Kat: Two things happened last week, Taylor Swift was the topic of a dumb article and she released a new album.

I'd prefer to ignore the idiot -- a self-appointed spokesperson that no one ever needed to hear from. But THE OBSERVER -- in all their trashy stupidity -- has elected to make that their hook for the review of Taylor's REPUTATION (by the unironically named Kitty Empire).

Here's reality on and for the dumb ass who wrote her slam piece on Taylor. Few people have ever written so stupidly in their lives. The fool who made his name picking through Bob Dylan's garbage showed more awareness. Taylor was stupid herself. She shouldn't have threatened a lawsuit. A) It just drew attention to the dumb slam piece. B) As Taylor should know, "the haters going to hate hate hate" (her own "Shake It Off").

The ACLU couldn't jut do their job -- defending everyone's right to free speech -- even morons. They had to try to ridicule Taylor.

Why?

Because she's a woman, let's be clear. They wouldn't have pulled that s**t with a man. It's like how the so-called THINK PROGRESS used to ridicule Paris Hilton so they could indulge in their misogyny (until Ava and C.I. called those asses out).

Taylor, in the slam piece, is charged with (a) playing a victim, (b) being a racist and signaling to other racists, etc, etc.

It's a slam piece by a dumb writer who thought she could look politically aware with whomever already hates Taylor Swift.

Let's deal with the politics first, Taylor's words are Taylor's words. What you choose to see with them reflects you.

So the racism that the Dumb Ass saw? It was her own racism. It wasn't Taylor and it wasn't in Taylor's songs.

On a similar topic, Taylor doesn't have to tell people to vote or who to vote for. People can shut their mouths -- and many more should. It's not necessary. Alyssa Milano is a dumb ass who would do much better to focus things she understands -- politics isn't one of them. Not only has she not done independent study but poli sci wasn't taught on the set of either WHO'S THE BOSS or TEEN STEAM.

In America, you can vote or not. And some Bay Area dumb ass may write a slam on Taylor for not endorsing Hillary Clinton, reality is that in the Bay Area, we're a little more political than our Bay Area dumb ass and we realize that Hillary's never been The Great Liberal Hope or even The Great Liberal.

I have no idea who Taylor voted for -- if she even voted -- and I don't give a damn. I wish other celebrities would grasp that we don't know need their partisan b.s. You can use your fame to draw attention to an issue and I'll applaud you for it. Bastardizing it for partisan reasons and you're nothing but a whore.

Maybe it's time the press started returning to reality? Once upon a time, they rightly mocked.

Well . . . they mocked.

The one they mocked most?

Bay Area dumb ass can't tell you, but I will. It's July 23, 1968. Democrat Hubert Humphrey is getting endorsed by the woman who is the most successful singer on the charts for that decade.

And she's ripped apart in the press conference and in the press coverage.

She obviously survived the ridicule. (And, November 19th, will be performing on The American Music Awards and receiving their lifetime achievement award.)

She really doesn't make a point to inform the world who she's voting for these days.

She was treated beyond poorly by the press. Again, it was racist and sexist.

But the press can mock these celebrities -- without resorting to sexism and racism -- who seem to think they know real life when they don't.

And they should.

They should be asked specific questions about policy.

Where do you get off thinking you can tell someone who to vote for?

Marc Anthony, what in your life makes you think your decision to support Hillary is worth sharing or well reasoned?

Do you not realize -- Anthony, Bruce Springsteen and all the rest -- how stupid and superficial you look as you rush forward to weigh in on elections?

Bruce, since TUNNEL OF LOVE in 1987, you've only done one album worth purchasing (THE RISING). Maybe instead of barnstorming the country for this politician or that, you should be doing your job, song writing?

Art is not politics -- it's a point I made when Carole King released that embarrassing live album and changed the lyrics to "Sweet Season." On the album, she explains that politicians don't like to lose so instead of singing "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes the blues get ahold of you" -- the song's opening lines -- she sings "Sometimes you win, sometimes you win."

It not only makes no sense, it ruins a song that the people -- not the politicians -- made famous.

It was so nice being friends againThere I was giving you a second chanceBut then you stabbed me in the back while shaking my handAnd therein lies the issueFriends don't try to trick youGet you on the phone and mind-twist youAnd so I took an axe to a mended fenceBut I'm not the only friend you've lost latelyIf only you weren'tSo shadyThis is why we can't have nice things, darlingBecause you break them

Is it about Kanye West and his celebrity spouse as some insist?

First off, if Kim Kardashian -- 38 years-old later this year and still having nothing to point to with pride -- wants my support, she might try not dressing her son like a racist, sexist and homophobe for Halloween. She might also try getting a brain. 38 is not a child. She needs to grow the hell up.

To me, "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" is a great song and this fascination/neurosis of trying to figure out the 'who' of it reminds me a lot of the sexism Joni faced from ROLLING STONE and others.

Thing is, when I listen to Joni, I'm not trying to figure out who she's writing about or who inspired, I'm trying to relate the song to my own life.

The fifteen songs move from angst and conflict to ease and comfort culminating with the final track, the one Taylor debuted during a commercial break of ABC's SCANDAL last week, "New Year's Day."

That song's sublime.

She needs to perform it live as a duet with Chris Carrabba at some awards show, it sounds like one of the most beautiful songs Dashboard Confessional could do.

"I Did Something Bad" is another stand out track:I never trust a narcissist, but they love meSo I play 'em like a violinAnd I make it look oh-so-easy'Cause for every lie I tell them, they tell me threeThis is how the world worksNow all he thinks about is meI can feel the flames on my skinCrimson red paint on my lipsIf a man talks s**t, then I owe him nothingI don't regret it one bit, 'cause he had it comingThey say I did something badThen why's it feel so good?They say I did something badBut why's it feel so good?Most fun I ever hadAnd I'd do it over and over and over again if I couldIt just felt so good, goodI never trust a playboy, but they love meSo I fly 'em all around the worldAnd I let them think they saved meThey never see it comin', what I do nextThis is how the world worksYou gotta leave before you get left

Sorry, I'm not snooping through Taylor's past, peering into her bedroom window, to figure out what man or men it might be about. I have my own life and those lyrics speak to that for me. If they don't for you, maybe you ought to get out more?

"Dress" is another great song. So is "Getaway Car." In fact, all 15 tracks are solid and Taylor's made a work of art that deserves to be nominated at The Grammys for Album of the Year.

It holds together, it moves with variations of a theme. It's the work of an artist -- which is really nice to type.

There aren't a lot of artists making hits these days.

Gone are the days, for example, when Stevie Wonder and Carly Simon could hit the pop charts. Instead, we get Justin Timberlake offering yet another impersonation of Michael Jackson or Justin Beiber hitting that same note on every beat while we pretend he can really sing.

Taylor Swift has talent. A lot of people do. A lot of people waste their talent.

Instead of wasting it, Taylor's growing with it and that's good for her and good for music.

About Me

We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting.
This also applies to anyone writing to complain about a friend of mine. That's not why the public account exists.